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What is the world coming to?

I spilt a little bit of water on my keyboard last night, just a tiny bit, like 2 tablespoons. This morning many of my keys no longer worked. Having had this problem before I knew that the water had shorted out some connections. I wonder why there cannot be a thin plastic membrance between the outside world and the electronics of a keyboard... it'd be so simply and prevent spill damage, but whatever...

So I went to Comp USA to get a new one, which is where I usually go. They didn't have any simple ergonomic keyboards. 85% of their inventory were keyboard/mouse combos, wireless, multimedia, a whole bunch of functions you'll never use but that will require that you to install drivers and controlling software on your PC (yay bloatware!).

The remaining 15% was made up of plain square keyboards, and singular multimedia ones. They only had one ergonomic keyboard, this "Microsoft 4000" behemoth that was full of multimedia functions I Did not want. Plus it was a different style. Rather than a more gradual slope towards the center it sorta peaked more steeply.

IT used to be nearly every keyboard was ergonomic... but whatever.

Now, what is the point with these multimedia keyboards? Multimedia buttons on everything from your monitor to your toaster were all the rage in the 90's, specifically on compaqs, until people realized that they sucked (or dell showed people that you didn't need them and you could save money by not paying for them). The problem with them is that they required software controls to work and that this software would always be running on your system sucking up system resources, and buttons are didn't always work well. Plus, who really needs a "web homepage" button at the top of your keyboard?

Really, I only see the extremely computer illiterate get any comfort out of multimedia keyboards. You know like old people who have an easier time understanding pushing a physical button rather than clicking a link.

Now does anyone here think that society as a whole is growing less computer literate? I don't, I think its obvious that as time passes computer literacy increases. So why have keyboards morphed into these multimedia behemoths?

Plus these of course have to use USB. I for one do not find USB ports nearly as reliable as PS2 ports. It probably has something to do with it being hotswappable. But I get irregularities with all my USB peripherals.

So. I went to comp USA, RadioShack, BestBuy, OfficeMax, Staples, Meijer (Grocery store with electronics section) Target, and Walmart. None of them had a plain ergonomic keyboard. Most didn't carry a single ergonomic keyboard, and if they did it was that MS one I mentioned.

I have to agree. I can't use those ergonomic keyboards. Probably because I don't properly touch-type.

Speaking of spilling things on keyboards... I accidentally spilt hot tea on my laptop keyboard the other day! I've spilt a drink on a keyboard before and I know the damage it can do. So I grabbed the laptop and turned it upside down and shook it to try and shake off as much tea as possible. But then to just to finish it off I thought I'd dry it out as much as possible with a hair dryer. Unfortunately ended up melting a couple of the keys! Didn't notice them bending. Oops.

Many times when wet electronics dry back out they start working again. I've seen several keyboards come back to life after they dried out for a few days. My roommate in college dropped his cell phone in the toilet. He was able to take off the plastic cover and leave it to dry for a week or so - good as new!

I remember my mom used to have a plastic cover thing on her keyboard. It was several years ago but if anything would have spilled on it there was no way it was getting in. It wasn't hard plastic though, it was kind of rubbery. I didn't really impede typing either, it just looked stupid. But hey, if it keeps bad things from happening then who cares what it looks like.

I discovered years ago that keyboards were heading down hill fast, a zillion buttons, flimsy, and very light (so light they move around your desk when the wind blows!)

So over the years I have collected a few spare keyboards (about 30!). Their plain, their heavy, they _click_ when you push a button, and they are comfortable to use.

I'll be stuffed in 10-15 years time when they all finally wear out, or there is some other connector that I can get a convertor to suit, but in the mean time I'm happy. (If a little tight on space, the spares take up a lot of room!)

I actually use a cheap-piece-of-junk MEMROEX(sp) keyboard. It's one of those squares and it has some sort of key protection. I once had to take all of the keys off and spray some cleaning solution to clean it, it still worked after being thoroughly doused with Krud Kutter so I guess it does something decent.

How ergonomic are those keyboards really? From what I hear the best thing ergonomic wise is to have a good chair which is well positioned and has arms (also well positioned). I also read that the QWERTY style keyboards are also bad because the most used keys are farest away from the center make you reach to much.

I've been using ergonomic keyboards for almost ten years. They can really help if you are a touch typer. Basically they allow the wrist to remain straight while typing. I hate all of the non-traditional buttons on the keyboard, but I do like having a touch pad built into the palm rest below the space bar. I use an Adesso "Enhanced Keyboard". I've owned/used about four of these types of keyboards over the past eight years or so. I'd never go back to a real mouse nor a normal straight keyboard.

I really hate those keyboards, sorry chris! Got a few sitting in a box at work, no one wants to use them.

Much prefer the new really chunky microsoft keyboards, possibly the best I've used - had a huge padded area for your wrists and the keys are just right. But it's the same with any keyboard, you get so used to it, but after a week of using something different you get used to that too.

I just bought a Logitech MX5000 wireless keyboard/mouse combo and it's very nice. It's all through bluetooth. I love the no wires! It does have a lot of the shortcut buttons..but I don't really use them, although there are a couple I use just cause they are convenient.

I agree with chris on those combo keyboard things. I don't need anything fancy, the cheaper the better because then I don't have to worry about it breaking.

Right now I'm using an old non-ergonomic keyboard with a telephone-spiral cord and it has a sticker on it that says "property of Hewlett-Packard." I bought it at a garage sale may be 8 years ago. This replaced an older keyboard I spilled water on.

I'm about to buy an ergonomic keyboard.. last night I was actually looking into buying an ergonomic mouse that kind of lays on its side, but it was a little pricey.